Management Team - Humans

The Brightest Lemons on the Tree of Success

Patu Keswani

Chairman & Managing Director

Patu is a B.Tech (Electrical Engineering) from IIT Delhi (he was presented the Distinguished Alumni Award by IIT Delhi during the Institutes Golden Jubilee celebrations in 2011) and an MBA from IIM Kolkata. He has 15 years of experience with The Taj Group of Hotels - including as Chief Operating Officer of Taj Business Hotels and as Sr Vice President-Special Projects. Patu has also worked briefly with A.T. Kearney Inc., as Director in their India Office

Patu promoted The Lemon Tree Hotel Company in 2002 and The Red Fox Hotel Company (a mid scale hotel chain) in 2006. [ top ]

Rahul Pandit

President & Chief Operating Officer

Rahul Pandit is a graduate of IHM, Pusa, New Delhi and a former member of the Indian Karate team. He studied brand management, HR management and innovation at IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore and Cornell-Nanyang. Rahul has previously worked across India, USA and Singapore with Choice Hotels, Taj Hotels, Spectramind and Intercontinental Hotels.[ top ]

Jagdish Kumar Chawla

Senior Vice President-Projects & Engineering Services

Jagdish Chawla is an engineer from Pusa Polytechnic, Delhi and has 20 years of experience with The Taj Group of Hotels-including as Chief Engineer of Taj Palace Hotel, Delhi and as a senior member of the team that built Jai Mahal Palace Hotel, Jaipur and Taj Residency Hotel, Lucknow.[ top ]

Davander Singh Tomar

Senior Vice President-Security, Administration & People

Davander Tomar is an M.A. and an L.L.B. from Delhi University and has 18 years of experience in the Security function with The Taj Group of Hotels -including as Area Security Manager, Taj Group, Delhi.[ top ]

Aradhana Lal

Vice President- Marketing & Business Development

Aradhana Lal is an MBA from IIM Ahmedabad. Since inception, she has built the Lemon Tree Hotels brand and sales organization. Her previous assignments include Hindustan Lever as Sales Operations Manager for the direct selling business - Hindustan Lever Network and the Taj Group of Hotels.[ top ]

Kapil Sharma

Vice President-Finance

Kapil Sharma is a CA. His last assignment was as Head-Finance and Accounts, Leroy Somer (Emerson Group). With over a decade of experience in the finance and commercial function, he also worked with DHL Worldwide Express and Onida Finance.[ top ]

Sumant Jaidka

Assistant Vice President-Operations

Sumant Jaidka is a graduate from Salzburger School of Hotel Management, Austria. His last assignment was as Executive Assistant Manager, Crowne Plaza, New Delhi. He has worked with the The Taj Group of Hotels, Hilton, Maurya Sheraton and Hyatt Regency.[ top ]

Rajiv Tyagi

Assistant Vice President-Finance

Rajiv Tyagi is a commerce graduate from Delhi University. His career spanning over 25 years includes Maurya Sheraton and The Taj Group of Hotels (Delhi), where he was last the Area Credit Manager, Taj Group, Delhi.[ top ]

Naresh Chander Malhotra

Assistant Vice President- Projects & Engineering Services

Naresh Malhotra is a mechanical engineer, a graduate (Delhi University) and holds part ‘A' AMIE certification. His last assignment was as Chief Engineer, Batra Hospital. His experience also encompasses The Taj Group of Hotels, Clarks Hotels, Santa Cruz International Airport and Indraprastha Power Station.[ top ]

Nikhil Sharma

Assistant Vice President-Operations

Nikhil Sharma is a graduate from Institute of Hotel Management, Pusa, Delhi. His last stint was as a senior Front Office team member at Grand Intercontinental Hotel, Delhi. His experience includes Taj Hotels in Delhi and Udaipur, Marriot in Mumbai and Intercontinental in Srinagar and Delhi.[ top ]

Vikramjit Singh

Assistant Vice President & National Director of Sales

Vikramjit is a graduate of Shri Ram College of Commerce, Delhi and a post graduate in Hospitality Management and Administration from the Taj Group of Hotels. He was last an entrepreneur in Assam where he ran his own hotel. Vikram has been a key part of the sales leadership and built the sales organization at Lemon Tree Hotels.[ top ]

Abhijeet Shrivastava

Assistant Vice President-Operations

Abhijeet is a graduate of the International Institute of Business Management, Patna. He has previously worked with Hyatt Regency, Delhi and Leela Palace Kempinski Hotel, Bangalore. Abhijeet has been pre-opening Hotel Manager for Lemon Tree Hotels in Hyderabad, Pune and Gurgaon.[ top ]

Rahool Macarius

General Manager & National Head - Regional Sales Offices

Rahool is a hotel management graduate from M.S Ramiah College, Bangalore and a diploma holder from American Hotel & Motel Association. Rahool has previously worked with Intercontinental Hotels group and was a Regional Sales Manager with ITC Fortune Hotels.[ top ]

Pankaj Katyal

General Manager & Regional Director of Sales

Pankaj is an MBA from University of Madras. His last assignment was with Hilton Chennai as Director of Sales. Pankaj has previously worked with Marriott, Chennai; Westin Mindspace, Hyderabad and Leela, Chennai.

R. Hari

General Manager-Human Resources

R. Hari is a post graduate in Personnel Management and Industrial Relations; post graduate in Arts with professional degree in Law. His last assignment was as General Manager–Human Resources, VLCC. Over a career-positions spanning 24 years, he has worked with Sun n Sand Pune, Holiday Inn - Ooty, Ahmedabad & Vadodara and with ITDC.[ top ]

Jai Raj Singh

General Manager-Materials Management

Jai Raj Singh is an arts graduate, with a professional diploma in materials management. His last assignment was with S. J. P. India Associates as General Manager-Commercial. His 28-year experience includes Nirulas Corner House, Intercontinental, Times of India, Fedders Lloyd Corporation and Delhi Cloth Mills. [ top ]

Sareena Kochar

General Manager-Housekeeping

Sareena Kochar is a B. Sc. from Kurukshetra University with professional diplomas in Hotel Management. Her last assignment was as Corporate Executive Housekeeper, VLCC Health Care. Prior to this she was with Howard International and Jaypee Residency Manor in Mussorie, Vasant Continental, Delhi and Intercontinental in Delhi, Goa and Srinagar.[ top ]

Saket Puri

General Manager-Finance

Saket Puri is a CA with over 18 years of experience. His last assignment was as a Finance Consultant with Spraylite Industries, Dubai. Prior to this Saket had handled the finance function in the manufacturing, construction, shipping and hospitality industries in India and Dubai.[ top ]

Lt. Col. Narendar Chowdhry (Retd)

General Manager-Security & Administration

Lt. Col. Narendar Chowdhry is a commerce graduate from Delhi University. He was an Indian Army officer for 20 years and handled security, intelligence, administration and logistics in both combat and peace time. He was a part of the Indian Peace Keeping Force operations in Sri Lanka and Kargil.[ top ]

Rakesh Kumar

General Manager-Projects & Engineering Services

Rakesh Kumar is an engineer from Bangalore University, Karnataka and has 23 years of experience with organizations in India and abroad. His last assignment was as Head-Installation, DCM Shriram Consolidated and prior to this he worked with A.P.I.L. (Ansals), T.C.I.L. and KSA.[ top ]

Rajesh Kumar

General Manager-Human Resources

Rajesh is a post graduate in Personnel Management and Industrial Relations. His last assignment was as Senior Manager-Human Resources, Mahindra Holidays & Resorts. Over a career spanning 11 years, he has worked with Select Holiday Resorts, Gurgaon, Oberoi Hotels & Resorts and Oberoi McAlpine India Limited, Shimla.[ top ]

Rajiv Srivastava

General Manager & Group Corporate Chef

Rajiv Srivastava is a graduate of Institute of Hotel Management, Lucknow. He is a specialist in French, Japanese, Oriental, Mediterranean, Indian and Italian cuisine. He was last the Executive Chef of Soaltee Crowne Plaza, Kathmandu, Nepal. Rajiv has previously worked in Greece, Malaysia, Philippines and India with various IHG hotels and Hyatt regency, New Delhi.[ top ]

Inder Pal Batra

General Manager-Finance

Inder is a CA. His last assignment was as Manager Accounts with Ajanta Offset & Packaging Limited. With over a decade of experience in the finance function, he has also worked with Frontier Biscuit Factory, New Delhi, Arti Foods and Fats, New Delhi and P. S. Kohli & Company, New Delhi.[ top ]

Joginder Singh

General Manager-Projects & Engineering Services

Joginder Singh is a Mechanical Engineer. His last assignment was as Manager-Engineering Services with India Tourism Development Corporation. Over a career spanning 24 years, he has worked with Taj Group of Hotels, Chandigarh and ITDC.[ top ]

Ajai Kumar

Chief Information Officer

Ajai Kumar is an MCA from Madan Mohan Malaviya Engineering College, Gorakhpur, U.P. He has 19 years of pragmatic experience in management of IT, including solution design, enterprise wide implementation, data centers, networks, process re-engineering and managing change. Prior to joining Lemon Tree Hotels, Ajai worked with blue chip corporates- Anand Automotive Systems, Blue Dart, Central Cottage Industries, Gati & BAX Global India.[ top ]

Tarun Lakhanpal

Associate General Manager-Revenue Management & Distribution

Tarun is a graduate of the Institute of Hotel Management, Catering Technology and Applied Nutrition, Bangalore. He has previously worked with Jaypee Residency Manor, Mussoorie and Hotel Nikko New Delhi. He has lead and built the Revenue Management and Distribution function at Lemon Tree Hotels.[ top ]

Prashant Mehrotra

Deputy General Manager Sales

Prashant is a graduate from Institute of Hotel Management, Gwalior. He has previously worked with Oberoi, Trident and Radisson Hotels. Prashant was earlier a Hotel Manager in Lemon Tree Hotels in Gurgaon, Indore and Ahmedabad. [ top ]

Davender Kapoor

Manager-Projects & Engineering Services

Davender Kapoor is an engineer from Government Polytechnic, Chandigarh. His last role was Chief Engineer, New Age Hotels and Resorts. Prior to that he was with ECE Elevators and The Taj Group of Hotels.[ top ]